Palak Paneer Speedrun

What you need

• 400g fresh spinach, washed
• 250g paneer, cut in 2cm cubes
• 2 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green chilies
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp cream (optional)
• Salt to taste

How it goes

1. 1

   Boil a pot of water. Blanch the spinach for exactly 60 seconds, then straight into ice water. This locks the color.

2. 2

   Blend the spinach with the green chilies into a smooth puree. Set aside — it goes in late.

3. 3

   Sear the paneer cubes in a little ghee until one side is golden. Pull them out — they finish in the sauce.

4. 4

   In the same pan, heat the rest of the ghee, crackle the cumin, then cook the onion until soft and golden, 5–6 minutes.

5. 5

   Add ginger-garlic paste, then the tomato, and cook until it breaks down, 3–4 minutes.

6. 6

   Add the spinach puree and salt, and simmer just 3–4 minutes — cook it longer and the green goes army-jacket.

7. 7

   Return the paneer, add garam masala and cream, one more minute, done.

Watch it made

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Worth knowing

• Soak store-bought paneer in warm salted water for 10 minutes before searing — it softens like fresh.
• A squeeze of lemon at the table wakes the whole thing up.